1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a "grind" shoe; i.e., a shoe adapted for executing figures by gliding on various linear supports, such as staircase guard rails, tracks, wall or fence ridges, etc.
Such figures are currently performed in the arena of the so-called "aggressive" practice of in-line skating.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
In DE 296 13 508 it was proposed to equip the lower surface of a shoe sole with a reinforcement that can be compared to the reinforcements used on in-line skates and called grind blocks. Such a reinforcement, in fact, consists of a gliding and wear part affixed in a detachable manner to the sole to allow the aforementioned glides.
There is also a shoe on the market, represented in FIG. 1, in which the sole 1 comprises, at the level of the arch of the foot a gliding and wear plate 2 fixed to the sole by means of a screw 3 cooperating with an insert (not represented in the Figure) arranged between the sole and the upper.
As shown in FIG. 1, the gliding and wear plate of this known shoe has a very "flat" rectangular shape. Such a gliding plate shape does not permit in practice the performance of more than one type of figure, namely, the one called "Royal", which consists of gliding on a bar or similar surface with both feet parallel and arranged transverse to the gliding direction on said bar.
As a matter of fact, the flat shape of the glide and wear plate does not permit a "locking" effect; i.e., jamming or wedging, on the glide support.
Such a construction therefore allows gliding only, and does not furnish any means for guiding or braking In addition, the insert on which the gliding and wear plate is fixed is arranged directly between the upper of the shoe and the sole and can therefore be a source of discomfort, especially in walking.
Finally, in this known construction, the gliding and wear plate may be easily torn off owing to its being fixed only by the screws 3, which are also subject to wear.